WB CEO Says We Need a ‘Wonder Woman’ Movie or TV Show

Published 1 year ago
by
Sandy Schaefer
, Updated October 10th, 2013 at 8:55 am,

Amazonian warrior princess Diana of Themyscira, a.k.a. Wonder Woman, is destined for either an appearance on the big screen (in live-action form, that is) or a return to television; right now, it’s merely a question of when and how will she be represented in the 21st century.

The collective public demand has only increased in volume in the meantime, as seemingly everyone (us here at Screen Rant included, naturally) has their own recommendations for casting and/or how to adapt the WW mythology to fit within the budding DC shared cinematic universe (established by Zack Snyder in this year’s Superman franchise reboot, Man of Steel).

The short of it? Someone needs to step up to the plate, if WB/DC wants to avoid taking (even more) flack for prioritizing TV shows like Gotham (i.e. a procedural drama featuring the Gotham City police) before they’ve either made additional progress on the proposed Amazon TV series (i.e. a prequel TV show that would be to Diana what Smallville is to Kal-El/Superman) and/or formally announced that active development has started on a Wonder Woman movie.

WB CEO Kevin Tsujihara has now officially added his voice to the growing outcry from the public, having said (via THR):

“We need to get Wonder Woman on the big screen or TV.”

Tsujihara once again reaffirmed that the studio has “huge plans for a number of other DC properties on TV,” even though he also acknowledged that the major brand properties (be they DC comic book movies or Harry Potter spinoffs) need to be balanced with more modestly-budgeted and/or original fare hereon out.

Interestingly, the box office success of Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity (an original sci-fi movie) should prove beneficial in terms of getting a Wonder Woman movie made, since it offers further proof that actress-headlined tentpoles are, in fact, bankable; not to mention, demonstrates that the best female characters are the ones written as people first (not “women”). Meanwhile, over at Marvel, talk of an Agent Carter TV series and female superhero movie being developed have only gotten the comic book crowd buzzing more and more about the (lack of a) Wonder Woman film to counter.

Of course, there have been a couple of attempts to get either a Wonder Woman TV show or film off the ground in recent years. Ally McBeal creator David E. Kelley envisioned Diana as a working-class gal with a secret identity, but the pilot for his TV series never reached the airwaves (and with good reason). Similarly, before that, Avengers director and Agents of SHIELD co-creator Joss Whedon strived to put together a Wonder Woman movie using a narrative formula – where Diana is taught compassion for humanity’s failings by a mortal love interest – that Marvel Studios would, to a degree, eventually wind up employing in order to introduce Thor to a mainstream audience.

Then again, such big names as DC President Diane Nelson have (indirectly) acknowledged that there are key differences between Princess of Themyscira and someone like the God of Thunder (besides gender, that is), since the former is far more iconic and representative of important feminist ideals (to mention nothing of the variation, when it comes to her origin story). As such, introducing Wonder Woman to the big screen with a semi-comical fish-out-of-water setup (a la how director Kenneth Branagh did with the Thor character) might not be the best way to about managing the task.

Curiously, the one filmmaker who has spoken about taking a Biblical approach to Wonder Woman – along the line of Snyder’s take on Superman – is Nicolas Winding Refn, who has previously expressed his desire to adapt the DC mainstay to the big screen. It’s an interesting prospect, the idea of a Wonder Woman film with the mythological heaviness of Valhalla Rising (Refn’s Viking drama, starring Hannibal‘s Mads Mikkelsen) and a version of Diana with as much coiled piss and vinegar in her spirit as Kristin Scott Thomas’s dragon-mom in Only God Forgives (albeit, with the physical prowess to match). But… yeah, that’s probably not going to happen.

What does seem more likely is the chance that the Wonder Woman movie could bear a resemblance to the stylish short film/concept pitch that Rainfall Films unveiled but a week ago (at the time of writing this); or, maybe in the vein of the grittier Thor sequel, a.k.a. the upcoming Thor: The Dark World. As for the possible TV show in the form of Amazon: after Smallville, Arrow and the upcoming The Flash, there’s not much reason to assume that the presentation will be anything revolutionary. (Whether it will or won’t do justice by the character, that’s another story…)

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We’ll keep you posted on any future Wonder Woman-related talk as we hear it.

I hope they make a movie of WW. They can have part of it on the island 300 style. And the rest her coming into modern civilization. They can have Cheetah and Ares or Devastation as her villains for the movie.

If movies like Colombiana, Salt, and Tomb raider can do good at the box office Wonder Woman will make a killing as long as they have her bada$$ and powerful, with villains that can give her a challenge.

While Gina fits the bill both in looks and physicality, her acting hasn’t reached a level to rest a movie this big on her shoulders. She’s still too dry and wooden even when she is a supporting character. She needs more acting classes and to learn to be more emotive, both during dialog and during non speaking scenes where her face needs to carry emotion. Jaimie might be able to do it, but she is already playing Lady Sif in Thor…

Carano could carry the movie if they get a great script, a good director, and surround her with seasoned actors. Cavill wasn’t a good actor when he started filming Superman. He definitely improved with the role though. As for Jaimie, she plays a supporting role in movies that come out every couple of years. It’s not like her schedule is super demanding because she’s Sif. She has the perfect look for the part and she can act.

I think it is really hard to make a Wonder Woman movie. I personally would love to see it on the big screen. Though, once getting started in development, you need to get the right actress. Whoever is stepping in for the role, you got to convince the audience that you are this character. As for the script, the story has to be something fresh and understandable. If you look at the animated movie of Wonder Woman, that can be easily translated into a live action film.

I’d really like to see the story go more international than just Wonder Woman beating up bad guys here in America. She’s the ambassador to “Man’s World.” There’s a great diplomatic story to be told there. Perhaps the discovery of Themyscira has increased global tensions. In Flashpoint, the Amazons took over a large portion of the world. Perhaps they could work that angle and have WW stop a war between the Amazons and the rest of the world which we find out at the end was all orchestrated by Ares. She beats Ares and secures her place as a superhero. The writer wouldn’t have to go into great detail about the mythology and magic and stuff; just sort of sprinkle it on. If all the characters accept that these are real and they are really happening, the audience will as well.

What happens if the movie failed? Movies that has a lead female role in a superhero genre aren’t as good. Catwoman, failed. Electra, failed. I don’t care who makes it first, I want to see that they can make a good superhero film that has a leading female character. As much I don’t know Mr. Marvel’s character, does she have that potential having her own movie?

as for the WB big kahuna, saying such and doing it are two different things. like, yeah you feel it’s wonder woman’s moment and it’s a target that has to be hit, but there seems to be a larger push for the flash. swamp thing has long had its two films, and Constantine is about to be developed for an additional medium ( with a film in its recent past ).

you figure there are bounds of talented people in WB’s employ that could make it work. Diana portrayed as a person first works for me, rather than insulting the audience with a betty boop justice leaguer. as for the magic dilemma, the entertainment world is occupied with fiction. I realize when I go to applebee’s a minotaur isn’t bull rushing anyone from behind the counter. but the screen is a product of imagination. if an able artists can write a good story pertaining to Diana and the magical realm, i’ll be there.

see WB, i’m not turned off by the prospect of magic in the DC cinematic universe. therefore lets not submerge it with aliens substituting legend and demi gods, or aquaman secretly being a wayne.

Enough Stuporman. Enough Buttman. WW Whotta Woman–? Well, OK, but let’s also concentrate on getting Green lantern #2 going, The Flash movie, maybe moving some other DC properties to the front for the JLA long-term goal like Martian Manhunter, The Atom, Hawkman…and how about getting Doctor Fate and Hourman up and flying?

Green Lantern is not getting a “2″ it’s gonna get rebooted. That movie was absolute trash. I’m down with a Flash movie but we have to get a WW movie first. Martian Manhunter, The Atom, Hawkman…they’ll probably appear as supporting characters later but not get their own movies like Black Widow and Hawkeye. Doctor Fate would BAMF but Hourman is kinda lame. He takes a drug that gives him super powers for an hour.

I really don’t think a Wonder Woman TV show would work. A movie would be cool. Plus, then we’d be one step closer to a justice league movie. AND I, too want to see a Green Lantern 2 (Sinestro Corps Wars). I think it’d be a waste to reboot Green Lantern since the GL universe is already established in the first film. I know the first one wasn’t amazing, but WB could make an awesome sequel. So YES to a Wonder Woman movie, NO to a Wonder Woman TV show. YES to a great Green Lantern sequel featuring the Sinestro Corps Wars, NO to a Green Lantern reboot.